Welcome for US FDA granting green light for cultivated meat
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Global food awareness NGO, ProVeg International, welcomed the news that Upside Foods has received a “no questions” letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cultivated meat, poultry or seafood.
“This is fantastic news and means that the cultivated meat revolution is changing gear,” Mathilde Alexandre, senior project manager for cellular agriculture at ProVeg, said.
Upside Foods is the first company in the world to receive a “no questions” letter from the FDA, indicating that the company’s cultivated meat is safe to eat.
“This paves the way for cultivated meat to enter the US, a major market, bringing a method of meat production to America that emits less greenhouse gas and does not involve the suffering of animals”, Alexandre said. “It really is a ground-breaking development.”
Research from the UK Food Standards Agency has shown that assurance around the food safety of cultivated meat is one of the top factors for consumers to eat the product. Upside Foods receiving the blessing from the FDA on its production method is a milestone in showing consumers that cultivated meat is safe to eat.
Only Singapore has given regulatory approval for cultivated meat so far, allowing cultivated chicken pieces to be sold there. Approval in a major market has been absent, including the EU, where it is not expected until 2025/2026.
ProVeg supports companies that develop cultivated products through its ProVeg Incubator scheme. the world’s leading incubator for plant-based and cultivated foods. The Incubator offers startups a 12-week accelerator programme with an intensive, tailor-made curriculum, expert mentoring, funding and exclusive networking opportunities to help get products to market.
